Poems for Fun
by Swallow in the Cloud
Summary: Hi! These are three poems I wrote for school and their justifications. The poems are for the books "Five People You Meet in Heaven", "Farewell to Manzanar", and "The Outsiders". This is my first time posting on here so sorry for any mistakes. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1 The Meeting

The Meeting

Just died, went to heaven, feeling so free,

Scared as a mouse, I let the wind carry me.

So lonely and light, five people I shall meet.

"All lives are connected" was the lesson taught

From the Blue Man, I shall forget not.

Met the first person, the first person I met.

* * *

Second heaven here I go,

My captain, he said hello.

A lesson he too, taught,

"Sacrifice is a part of life,"

With that I shall forget not.

Met the second person, the second person I met.

* * *

On to the third, all the more confused

To a place I've never seen, to a person I've never met,

But knew me she did, and taught me a lesson, too.

"Forgiveness is the key; remember that, Eddie."

Forgave my old man and went on to learn about life.

Met the third person, the third person I met.

* * *

I was a shadow, a breeze,

Swept by the wind through wedding after wedding,

'Til I came upon one that gave me an unexpected surprise.

Reunited with my wife, the love of my life,

She told me, "Love in any kind of form is still love."

Still, move on I had to, to learn of my purpose on earth.

Met the fourth person, the fourth person I met.

* * *

Swept through time and space once again,

Met a little girl I once killed, Tala,

She told me my purpose in life.

Eddie Maintenance is my name; keeping children safe is my game.

Met the fifth person, the fifth person I met.

* * *

Five people I met, five lessons I've learned.

So now it's my turn,

A lesson I too, shall teach

To the girl whose life I've saved.

Wait for her I shall, in my heavenly place.

* * *

Justification: This poem "The Meeting," is about an event that took place in Mitch Albom's Five People You Meet in Heaven. Written in a narrative form, the poem tells the story of Eddie traveling through heaven, meeting and learning from his five people. The poem has the characteristic of a story: setting, characters, and plot. The "story" is told in first person point of view through Eddie's eyes. This poem also includes literary devices such as metaphor and simile (scared as a mouse and I was a shadow, a breeze). The simile expressed how scared Eddie was when he first came to heaven. The metaphor of the shadow and the breeze expressed how light and free Eddie felt as he continued his journey through heaven. Throughout the poem, Eddie's feelings during the course of his journey, how he felt lonely, light, confused, scared, and free are expressed. "The Meeting" also contains end rhyme and couplets (learned: turn, go: hello, taught: not, free: me, ect.). I also included internal rhymes (she: me, key: Eddie, wife: life) to help create a meter or rhythm in the poem. "The Meeting" also contains refrains to show Eddie's journey and well as at to the rhythm. Refrain lines:" Met the person, the person I met," and in two stanzas "I shall forget not."


	2. Chapter 2 Manzanar

**Manzanar**

Manzanar isn't a place where you can come and go.

Walk up to the entrance, say, "Let me in" or "Let me out"

And expect the gates to be flown open for you.

* * *

Still, I like your spirit.

There is something, however, that you must know

And that is this place has a life of its own.

It hides from the whites, but won't let the Japs go,

Not even if they are loyal Americans.

A prison this place is like to some,

But to others, it's a home away from home.

* * *

Bloody riots and skirmishes are what make this place run.

Traitors or not, nobody knows

But loyalties are questioned, that's for sure.

Life here is hell to some,

But is heaven to others.

Everyone's endurance is tested

* * *

With no privacy and cramped space.

So you see, Manzanar is no walk in the park,

But a test of loyalty and perseverance.

'Tis also the cause for dramatic changes, too,

Family life is no longer the same.

Do loyal Americans remain?

* * *

**Justification:** This topic poem, "Manzanar," is written about an internment camp in the U.S. during World War II based on the book, Farewell to Manzanar, by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston. The poem is in lyric form and does not tell a story. "Manzanar" is told from my point of view in first person to the readers to let them know more about the camp. As a lyric poem, it expresses my feelings about the topic of Manzanar. It hints how I think that Manzanar is not a peaceful, happy place with "bloody riots and skirmishes." The feeling that I expressed about Manzanar is dislike, though, I have some "counter arguments" in there with how other people might feel about it. In the poem, Manzanar is compared to heaven, hell, home, prison, and a place where you can come and go when you please using metaphors and similes.(ex: a prison this place is, it's a home, is no walk in the park, etc.) There are also personifications describing Manzanar and what human-like thing the camp is said to have done (it hides from whites, won't let Japs go, this place run, loyalties are questioned, ect.) This poem also has some almost end rhymes in hope of creating a rhythm (know: go, own: home). My poem here is kind of like "Valentines for Ernest Mann" in some ways. "Valentines" shows how poems are not what they seem while "Manzanar" shows how the camp is not what it seems. Like "Valentines," "Manzanar" doesn't include refrains or repetitions.


	3. Chapter 3 Ode to Johnny

**Ode to Johnny**

I was out one day for a drink of lemonade

When I happened to bump into Johnny Cade.

Scarred face from beatings after beatings,

For me, it was an unexpected meeting.

* * *

As nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof,

He ran away from me in a poof;

But not before I got to know him a bit.

The guy could really take a hit

Though won't fight back unless it's a fact.

Johnny would never start a riot,

And he is extremely quiet.

* * *

Although he is incredibly shy,

Johnny is a really nice guy.

Timidity might be in his system,

But he's no fearful gem.

Sure has a heart of a lion

And I'm not lyin'.

* * *

**Justification**: "Ode to Johnny" is a poem celebrating a character from S.E. Hinton's book, The Outsiders. Written from my perspective, it describes the qualities of Johnny Cade. With the use of literary devices, the poem has a more descriptive tone to it. From the imagery on his scarred face, you can sort of actually see Johnny's beat-up visage. With other imagery, you can visualize how Johnny ran so fast that he seemed to just disappear. By comparing Johnny to a cat on a hot tin roof, I described that he is a nervous person. The character's brave quality is also shown through the metaphors of "he's no fearful gem" and "has a heart of a lion." I also personified timidity to be hiding in his system to show that Johnny is not a really outgoing person. To help create a rhythm or meter, I added internal and end rhymes to the poem. Some internal rhymes are day with lemonade and back with fact. I also used the end rhymes to try and form couplets as well (ex: lemonade: Cade, beatings: meeting, roof: poof, bit: hit, riot: quiet, ect.). All in all, this ode celebrated Johnny's characteristics and personalities.


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